Wednesday, 29 February 2012

When a brutal daylight massacre leaves them bound and gagged in a remote, abandoned warehouse, eight young West Texans soon realize their minutes are numbered. Dropped deep into dark corridors, these captives quickly find themeselves in a game of predator and prey with a medciless killer brandishing a sledgehammer as his choice of judgment, The dilapidated structure once the adress of an old Tex-Mex flea market now houses a hell especially ready to deliver these unwitting souls a horrific fate they never dreamed existed. Doll Boy is a short film with a running time of 27 minutes, it´s written by Lee Ankrum and Billy Pon who also directs, is sound editor, producer and film editor. Good acting, Sergio Gracida as Doll Boy is a very creepy and imposing killer wearing a porcelain doll’s face mask. The film is very nicely shot and edited and a excellent soundtrack helps to create a creepy claustrophobic atmosphere. Sound is utilized to create a truly bizarre and frightening universe and the setting is hauntingly creepy. The kills are gruesome and shot really well with cutbacks to the kill blows into the practical effects setups of faces being caved in. The gore and special fx created by Def Con FX are excellent! Two faux trailers are included before the film, Circus of the Dead and Mister Fister and I´m extremely happy that both are going to be shot in the future, Circus of the Dead during 2012 and Mister Fister in 2013. I´m so looking forward to these new films from Billy Pon.For more info on Doll Boy and Pon's other projects, head to his official site HereRating: 7 out of 7. Doll Boy is Billy Pon´s directorial debut and and believe me it´s a very impressive debut. Doll Boy is freakin fantastic and gets my highest recommendations! Help support independent horror films and check it out! Billy Pon is the future of independent horror and I wanna see more from him!!

Renfield (Phil Nicols, he also wrote, produced, created the special effects and creatures for the film), the mad slave of the Count Dracula (John Stephens), is now himself an insane vampire stalking a modern day metropolis. Known as "The Bayou City Butcher", a serial killer, Renfield is relentlessly pursued by police detective Paul Cranston (Paul Damon). Renfield is also sought by Mina Harker (Roxy Cook), now a vampire, and her half vampire son Quincy (Tyler Tackett). Renfield the Undead is directed by Bob Willems, The acting is pretty bad and is some cases terrible, the only actor that is any good is John Stephens who portrays a very creepy Count Dracula. Renfield the Undead is decently shot and edited and the pacing is good. There is a quite a bit of gore but nothing extreme, the special fx and vampire creatures created by Facades FX Makeup Lab & Creature Design are good. But viewers should beware that there is a large amount of green screen and really cheap CGI in the film, the computer-rendered sets which are used frequently are bad, really bad. Renfield the Undead is labeled horror by IMDB but in many parts it´s unintentionally crossing over into comedy This review is based on the region 1 release from R Squared Films.Rating: 1 out of 7. The high points in Renfield the Undead are the vampire creature designs and John Stephens as Count Dracula but everything else is pretty terrible...

Tuesday, 28 February 2012

City people enter the cursed moutains, where madness dwells, and fall victim to the unseen predator foretold by legend. Blood Reaper is written by Douglas Hensley and is directed by Lory-Michael Ringuette. Horror fans might care to know that "scream queen" Brinke Stevens appears during the pre-credits sequence (her best years have long since past). The acting is really bad, here we get 40 year old actors that tries to play teenagers and you don't care for any of the potential victims and there is not any tension whatsoever. I just waited anxiously for the characters to get killed. After the pre-credit the film slows down and the pacing is awfully slow and even though the film has a short running time (just over 70 minutes) the film is too long and very boring. Add to this that it´s badly shot, badly lit and edited. Thankfully there are some gory killings and the soundtrack is pretty good. This review is based on the region 2 DVD release by Lighthouse DVD Distribution Ltd.Rating: 0½ out o 7. Blood Reaper is hard to endure, the pacing is so freakin slow that it feels like the neverending story. It´s a poor attempt to make a slasher film. Do not waste your money or your time watching it.

Monday, 27 February 2012

Three months after a catastrophic viral outbreak that wiped out 99.9% of the world´s human population and resurrected them as flesh-eating living dead, a small unit of soldiers and civilians are forced to defend themeselves against the breed of blood-thirsty predators. Taking refuge from the rampaging mutant hordes outside, the survivors soon find their compound besieged and with no choice but to fight for their lives in a hellish, death-ravaged landscape. However, hope appears when a high level communication is received from a military base on the coast, with the news of a sanctuary. Now, their only chance for survival is to make the horrifying journey trhough the realm of the ravenous living dead and the remaining gangs of bandits who are as savage and deadly as the mutants out for their flesh. World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries is written by Kevin Gates who also directs toghether with Michael Bartlett. Three characters from the first film do appear in this film. It´s obvious that they had a bigger budget behind them this time in this production and that really helped the movie along a good deal. The acting is pretty decent. We get choppy editing combined with frenetic camera-work, note that there is a lot of shaky camera work (hand held camera route, where one character walks along it's participants & films all the going on's as they occur. ) and about half the movie is shot in nightvision which has a luminous green negative effect which becomes irritating and difficult to watch. Regarding special fx, the film isn't very gory and the zombies aren´t best looking or the most impressive I´ve seen but they are ok. The zombies are of the George Romero variety of slow moving, brainless, shuffling, eating machines that are rotting on their feet. The sound of flies accompanies them giving the dead a more pungent quality and the film is filled with nice little touches like this that show some real attention to detail. The pacing is a bit slow but I like the the gritty and bleak atmosphere, there are some unpleasant moments and there are some really good set-pieces that are creepy especially in the nighttime graveyard scene with the snow falling.This is review is based on the region 2 DVD released in the UK by Metrodome Group.Rating: 3 out of 7. Check it out if you are a zombie aficionado or a post-apocalypse film fan./JL

In the early part of the 21st Century, an unknown virus began spreading amongst the populace. Within weeks of the initial outbreak, the virus had engulfed the entire planet: from the smallest rural communities to the greatest cities. Soon the earth was infested with a new threat - the undead. Three compelling video diaries explore the horrifying and dystopian world that was left behind - charting the early days of the plague, through to the terrifying last days of the apocalypse. The Zombie Diaries is written and directed by Michael Bartlett and Kevin Gates. The film shows you the zombie outbreak from different points of view and at different times of the outbreak. It´s broken into three "diaries" that come together in a neat twist climax that provides some conclusion. During the film focus shifts from one group's story to the next, it unravels in a fragmented and episodic fashion. The film uses the camera's point of view. A tense and creepy atmosphere dominates, from the ghostly silent. littered streets to the growing number of walking dead on the horizon. Some of the acting is pretty decent, there are a couple of talented actors. The special fx while nothing to special, is well done. The gore is surprisingly restrained. The zombies are of the slow moving George Romero variety. The sountrack is haunting and very effective. The overall pacing of the movie is very well done, it is a bleak, savage, and uncompromising film. There are some disturbing and brutal scenes that were handled really well.This review is based on the region 2 DVD released by Revolver Entertainment in the UK.Rating: 3 out of 7. The Zombie Diaries a good film, it's worth a watch if you are a fan of the genre. I think the non-linear narrative is a refreshing change. It´s pretty disturbing, it is claustrophobic and intense.

Thursday, 23 February 2012

Litio is directed by Sergio Blasco, it runs about ten minutes. The film quickly scans the life of a drug-addicted young woman and has some dialogue mixed with bizarre and experimental scenes. It´s all depicted from the perspective of the addict The film looks very good, it features striking cinematography, the acting is good but the focus is on imagery.This short film is included with the Spanish short film Mas Carnaza on a DVD released by Shock Entertainment, it german language only. Rating: 5 out of 7. Sergio Blasco has improved tremendously as a director, this film would work perfectly as a drug prevention measure in schools.

Wednesday, 22 February 2012

A psychopath escapes from prison, kills his psychiatrist and makes his way to his ex-girlfriend, who seems to have developed an extremely obsessive and unhealthy relationship. Once in the apartment he first kills the friend and former roommate of his beloved, he discovers that she no longer lives there. However, he finds out her home. His ex-girlfriend is just about to be intimate with a fellow student, and while she takes a shower, the psycho breaks in and kills her boyfriend. He gags the young girl and start torturing her mentally and physically. Mas Carnaza is directed by Sergio Blasco, it´s somewhat reminiscent of the first episode of Olaf Ittenbach's The Burning Moon and Heiko Fipper´s Ostermontag. The plot is built up consistently and is pretty exciting. The camera work is good too and the cast is average. I like the fact that it is played straight, it´s serious and is unrelenting. The film is about 45 minutes long and never gets boring, because it really goes blow by blow. This is not for the squeamish as the scenes in which the woman is humiliated and tortured are disturbing. Unlike the director´s previous film Burrp there isn´t much splatter but instead we get a dark and brutal film but don´t worry there is gore and it´s pretty good for a amateur flick. The special fx better than those of Burrp. Sergio Blasco manages to create a threatening atmosphere. You can smell the evil and suffering. What I found interesting is that you never see the face of the perpetrator which is a nice touch.This review is based on the DVD released by Shock DVD Entertainment, it´s uncut and has german or spanish audio. There is yet another short film included and this is the only DVD release of this film. The picture is grainy but it is an amateur film shot on VHS from the 90s.Rating: 4½ out of 7. Mas Carnaza delivers what it promises, and shows the fans that they want to see. Brutality, degradation and no compromises are being made... Sergio Blasco has clearly improved his craftmanship.

Civilization is threatened by bloody chaos. Disease ridden vegetables is an epidemic across the country, which causes the infected not only to become extremely aggressive, but also to become cannibalistic. A military unit is trying to get this problem under control. Burrp is directed by Sergio Blasco, who is regarded as the Spanish answer to Olaf Ittenbach and Andreas Bethmann. The acting is bad, it´s badly shot and edited but Sergio Blasco does succeed to create a scary and crazy atmosphere in some scenes. The splatter scenes are of course not perfect, but serve their purpose, namely to maintain the gorehounds. They are comparable with the effects of Violent Shit 2. The plot is somewhat confused and in the end completely lost in some seemingly senseless carnage. This film ain´t pretty too look at as the picture is grainy but it is an amateur film shot on VHS from the early 90s.This review is based on the DVD released by Shock DVD Entertainment, it´s uncut, has german or spanish audio but there isn´t much dialogue. Beware that the film is approximately 30 minutes, not 50 minutes as stated on the DVD cover.Rating: 1 out of 7. Burrp is a pure amateur movie. You can look forward to a scenes of blood and violence with elements of slapstick.

Tuesday, 21 February 2012

Philip gets a temporary job as a gofer for Mr Staaff. The job is simple. He´s supposed to deliver goods to a light keeper. But Mr Staaff didn´t tell him why the light keeper never leaves the lighthouse after sunset. Keeper of the Light is written by Tommy Staaff and Robert P. Olsson who also directed the film, it´s a short film with a running time of 25 minutes. It´s made on a limited budget which is evident but it´s stylistically shot in black and white which adds to the atmosphere, it´s well made, has a good and fitting soundtrack. The cast is good There is more emphasis on style than on substance and on that level the film delivers. It manages to create suspense and a sense of creepiness.This review is based on the DVD released by BigBellyFilm, there are english subtitles available.Rating. 5½ out of 7. I liked Keeper of the Light, it will be very interesting to see what Tommy Staaff and Robert P. Olsson brings us in the future

Monday, 20 February 2012

First of all I´d like to thank Davide Melini for contacting me and suggesting that I should take a look at his film. How many times have you had a bad day? How many times have you thought you would run away from everyone and everything? That is exactly what happens to Mark (Carlos Bahos). In order to forget about a heated discussion with his girlfriend, he decides to get in the car and go far away. But a little mistake will change his reality forever... The Sweet Hand of the White Rose is written and directed by Davide Melini. The acting is average, there is some nice imagery, good camera work and editing and a unsettling atmosphere in some scenes but the soundtrack is a bit uneven, from creepy and effective to the opposite but beware this is not a straight horror short, instead it has a deeper meaning and symbolism which I won´t go into here because I don´t want to spoil it for you.
This review is based on a online source uploaded by Davide Melini, you can watch The Sweet Hand of the White Rose on http://www.youtube.com. Rating: 2½ out of 7. The Sweet Hand of the White Rose isn´t bad but I was probably expecting something different but please give it a chance and check it out.

First I´d like to thank Davide Melini for contacting me and suggesting me to take a look at his short film. A woman refuses to give money to her son, despite of his continuous pressure. One night she decides to relax and forget her troubles with her favorite pastime: making puzzles. However, this simple table game hides strange features that can turn her peaceful night into a nightmare. "There is always a piece in the puzzle of your life that does not fit". The Puzzle is written and directed by Davide Melini. It´s well shot and edited and the music really adds to the creepy atmosphere. The Puzzle is just 5 minutes long but it´s a good 5 minutes but I wish it would have been a little bit longer. The pacing is high and Cachito Noguera is believable as a very frightened woman...This review is based on a online source uploaded by Davide Melini, The Puzzle is available on http://www.youtube.com/ and http://vimeo.com/.
Rating: 3½ out of 7. Check out The Puzzle, it´s a interesting concept, has nice visuals and a creepy atmosphere.

Saturday, 18 February 2012

2 years have passed since the terrible events in the Exitus House. Sophie (Mia Magic), the sister of the murdered Monique, suffers from the fact that her sister's body was never found and the killer never brought to justice. She believes that Monique may still be alive and being held captive the psychopath. After finding out the house has been left unoccupied for 2 years she decides, along with her friend Lena (Natasha We), to investigate the house themselves. They soon find out that the secrets the house holds is far beyond their wildest dreams. Exitus II: House of Pain is a sequel to Exitus Interruptus by the germanbased sexplotaition director Andreas Bethmann that picks up the story of the first part, this time without the protagonist of his predecessor psychopath played by Andreas himself. It is shot, edited, written and directed by Andreas Bethmann, he is also did the soundtrack. The Saw series is recognizable as a one of the sources of inspiration. This being a Bethmann film you can count on plentiful amounts of nudity but there is less explicit sex in this film compared to the previous one. As the cast we have a group of women who more or less I guess have a previous background in the adult film industry; Renee Pornero, Mia Magic, Natascha We and Suzi-Anne, the last is the most goodlooking.The main actresses are unfortunately not always pretty to watch, although they are naked a large part of the movie and the acting leaves much to be desired. The lighting is good, the camera work knows how to please, the sets are quite stylish and the music is unobtrusive but appropriate. There are a scenes of torture, degradation, necrophilia and cannibalism but these scenes are so poorly staged that they lose much of their impact. There is not enough gore to satisfy the gorehounds and the special fx, these all come from the hands of the director are not really good and are largely unconvincing. The film is quite boring, it just happens too little and when it finally happens the has been to long. And there is a general lack of logic. This review is based on the Hardcore gore version released by X Rated Kult DVD, it´s german language only.Rating: 1½ out of 7. Exitus II: House of Pain is a unnecessary sequel, there are hardly anything new and it is failing to surpass its predecessor

5 years ago Manuela (Renee Pornero). was kidnapped and ever since has been tormented by the experience . She claims to have killed the sexual predator although his body was never found. Since that time she has not been able to have sex with any man and finds solace in the arms of her best friend and lover Monique (Anja Gebel). After a series a nightmares which begin to progress deeper and deeper into her psychological condition she seeks the help of a psychiatrist (Andreas Bethmann). The night after her first session her and Monique go out to a club for a couple of drinks. While in the restroom Manuela watches 2 women fooling around in a stall. A man appears and murders one of the girls and ties up the other. He then captures Manuela and takes them both back to his house in the woods where he tortures the women. 3 days later Monique receives a letter supposedly from Manuela explaining to her the 3 day absence and in the letter she asks Monique to visit her for a surprise. Monique's destination is the killer's house and she walks directly into his bloody hands. The viewer should be prepared for degradation, humiliation, sadism, torture and necrophilia. Exitus Interruptus - Der Tod ist erst der Anfang is written and directed by Andreas Bethmann, it is connected to Vegetarierinnen zur Fleischeslust gezwungen (2000) and Vegetarierinnen zur Fleischeslust gezwungen Part 2 (2002) as Renee Pornero plays the same character but in this film there is more plot and dialogue than the previous films. Actually I think they don´t even mention her characters name in any of the earlier films. As might be expected, this being a Andreas Bethmann film, there is plenty of nudity and explicit sex scenes but I think it enhances the exploitation and overall nastiness. Bethmann tries to develop a more complex plot than usual and he takes inspiration from films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Psycho. He also offers his masked killer the opportunity to play with his victims in the manner of Jigsaw from the Saw saga. Bethmann tries and with very limited means, of course, to recreate the unhealthy atmosphere which made the success of the above works but fails but he still presents some interesting sequences. During those brief moments, Andreas Bethmann demonstrates that he has the capacity to aim higher, qualitatively. Exitus Interruptus - Der Tod ist erst der Anfang is strangely light in terms of bloodshed. The few corpses in the face of papier mache and rubber sex will not change this. Production wise, it´s clear that Bethmann has improved his skills, it´s better shot and edited then the previous films. The soundtrack is good and adds to creating a creepy atmosphere.Readers should be aware that two versions of the film exist: the international hardcore cut (additional scenes and more extreme), running almost 2 hours, and the significantly shorter directors cut which has a runing time of 94 minutes.This review is based on the international hardcore cut released by X Rated, it has english subtitles.Rating: 3½ out of 7. Exitus Interruptus - Der Tod ist erst der Anfang is the best Andreas Bethmann film I´ve seen so far, there is less emphasis on lenghty pointless sex scenes and more focus on plot and characters which is a big plus. I can't recommend Exitus Interruptus - Der Tod ist erst der Anfang to everyone but those of you into exploitation films may find something of interest here.

First I´d like to thank Zach Green (one of the producer) for giving me the opportunity to review Familiar. Through a series of events, a middle aged man grows to suspect the negative impulses plaguing his mind may not be his own. Familiar is a short film written and directed by Richard Powell. It´s a very well acted film, especially Robert Nolan as main character John Dodd is exceptional, with high production values. The special fx and gore, it gets bloody, are first class. The only complaint I have is that I wish that the film would have been longer... Rating: 7 out of 7. Familiar is truly impressive film, it pulled me in from the start and I was glued to the screen for the full 24 minutes.

Thursday, 16 February 2012

A group of amateur-occultists wakes with a ritual by mistake the dead mass murderer Mike Mansfield (Henrik Wierick) to life. M. Mansfield, known as "Knochenwald butcher", is not pleased with it by any means, because he had found his peace at last in death. Now this peace was taken from him and he knows only thing: FURY! He comes to take cruel revenge in the occultists group. However, that´s not all. Dennis Craven (Dennis Jürgensen), the only survivor of Mike Mansfield, is completely crazy and is a copycat killer, dressing exactly like him (with the suit and the mask) and killing like him. The occultists and their gothic-friends want to have a party. The Host Acid Arafat (Karl Schneider) is constantly filled with drugs. He invites the sickest and funniest people he knows because Acid wants that his party to be the greatest… Sudden Slaughter - Knochenwald 3 is written by Dennis Jürgensen and Marius Thomsen who also is the director. As in the previous films the acting is bad, it´s usual band of untalented amateur actors, but let´s be honest we ain´t watching this film for it´s acting we want to see splatter and this film is even gorier than the previous parts. Cinematography, editing, production is much better and also in terms of story it has evolved. The soundtrack is pretty good. The home made special fx isn´t all convincing, but it´s obvious that they´ve learned and improved their technique and keep in mind that it´s made on a very small budget. The lack of quality is somewhat compensated with lots of fake blood. There is some use of very bad CGI.
This review is based on The Knochenwald trilogy DVD release by Maximum Uncut Productions, it´s uncut and german language only. It´s part of a limited telease of 500 copies.
Rating: 3½ out of 7. Fans of amateur splatter fans can look forward to trashy splatter scenes by the minute. The gore content will give most blood-thirsty amateur film fans tears of happiness in their eyes. Sudden Slaughter - Knochenwald 3 is recommended for fans of extreme trash splatter.

Wednesday, 15 February 2012

The young Christopher (Gordon Räcker) is plagued by strange zombie nightmares since he with a few Goth friends a few days ago held a occultist seance, and a doctor from the Clinic has prescribed him pills to help but they don´t. His friend Tom (Daniel Flügger) convinces him to go out with the Goth clique, and so they end up at a remote forest cemetery. Tom and his friends has brought a book which includes incantations, after which recitation you can supposedly get in touch with the dead. Christopher, still scared of his dreams wants to wait in the car, while the Goths hold a seance which causes zombies to rise from their graves .

Voodoo Curse - Legba's Rache is written, produced, edited and directed by Stefan Svahn. The acting is is decent with one or two exceptions. The soundtrack creates a subtle eerie mood and fits well. The camera work as well as the editing is very well done. The script avoids overly wooden dialogue.

Gorehounds should take note, there is plenty of gore and the zombies look really good for a low budget feature. The zombies are depicted in the Fulci / Romero-tradition (gray, ponderous, slow).The review is based on the DVD released by Maximum Uncut Productions and is part of a limited release of 500 copies. It´s uncut and there are english subtitles available.Rating. 6½ out of 7. Voodoo Curse - Legba's Rache is a excellent zombie flick, good plot, decent acting, a lot of gore and the zombies look really good. I can´t resist to do a small comparison with Stefan Svahn´s previous zombieflick Lost Way Of The Zombies and his craftmanship and technique has improved greatly as Voodoo Curse - Legba's Rache is much better.

Tuesday, 14 February 2012

Quite exactly one year after the psychopath Mike Mansfield from the Ostsee-psychiatry has escaped, another crazy criminal of violence breaks out. It is the cannibal John Noah. So that this second outbreak of a psychopathic killer does not reach once more to the general public like a year before to catch a reward hunter around Noah instructed of the clinic leader of the Ostsee-psychiatry Thomas Hampton. Together with Dr.Kane, the former psychiatrist of both killers, they proceed in the wood and soon hit on the first victims of the murderer's team. Since nobody has anticipated that John Noah has already formed an alliance with his former "friend" Mike Mansfield to go together on human hunt. Besides, Mike Mansfield still has a belonging calculation with the clinic leader Thomas Hampton openly.... The harvest of flesh has started.Knochenwald 2 - Fleischernte is written, shot and directed by Marius Thomsen. It´s made on a very tight budget, for what ever reason the picture quality varies this time, from good to dark and grainy in some scenes. The running time is longer at 61 minutes but the film keeps up a pretty high pacing, there is more plot and more characters. The acting is as bad as in the previous film, the camera work is decent and the editing is good. The soundtrack is pretty good. The kills are even more gorier than the first movie, there is some use of awfully bad CGI but most of it is practical fx (home made). This review is based on The Knochenwald trilogy DVD release by Maximum Uncut Productions, it´s uncut and german language only. It´s part of a limited telease of 500 copies. Rating: 2 out of 7. Knochenwald 2 - Fleischernte is pretty good and the special fx are impressive but I liked Part 1 better. The added running time, a good 30 minutes longer than its predecessor, is both a benefit and drawback.

The mentally ill violent offenders Mike Mansfield (Henrik Wierick) has broken out. He has retreated into a nearby forest. Driven by an insatiable lust for murder and hiding behind an expressionless gasmask Mike Mansfield is waiting for his victim. There comes a small group of campers who want to spend the weekend in the woods. The struggle for survival begins, and soon the last survivor of the group finds himself in a hopeless situation. From Knochenwald there is no escape .....Knochenwald is written, shot, edited and directed by Marius Thomsen. Most of the acting is bad but the cast is consisting of a group of friends , it´s pretty well shot, features good editing and the soundtrack is very fitting. It has ha running time of just 23 minutes and it never gets boring with a cool looking killer and a almost non stop series of killings and most of these are gory and graphic.This review is based on The Knochenwald trilogy DVD release by Maximum Uncut Productions, it´s uncut and german language only. If you don't understand German, no problem, there isn't much said in this splatterfest. It´s part of a limited telease of 500 copies.Rating: 5 out of 7. Knochenwald is good gory fun, it has a very simple storyline and simple home made effects. It´s 23 minutes of top notch low budget entertainment from Germany.

A chemical spill leads to the creation of hordes of zombies. A couple of people find themselves trapped and must fight for survival. Lost Way Of The Zombies is german independent horror film directed by Stefan Svahn who also plays the character Tom in the film. Amateurish acting, for the most part badly shot and edited. But gorehounds should take note that the zombies look very good for amateur flick and there is a lot of decent gore on display as the film picks up its pace.The review is based on the DVD released by Maximum Uncut Productions and is part of a limited release of 500 copies. It´s uncut and german language only.Rating: 2 out of 7. Lost Way Of The Zombies looks like shit in the beginning of the flick but it gets much better, the redeeming factors are the plentiful and goodlooking zombies and the gore which comes thick and fast (you just have to wait awhile).

A couple of friends party wildly at a vacation house. While they're drinking and having the time of their lives, an escaped mental patient stalks the party, killing anyone who parts from the gang. As the night falls, the remaining partyers find themselves trapped inside the house with a mad serial killer outside, just waiting to kill the rest of them off. Sleepover Nightmare is written and directed by Boon Collins. The acting is pretty decent, the pacing is pretty good and it´s pretty well shot and edited but the low budget is evident. There is a little bit of gore (partly done with poor CGI) but most of the potentially really gory stuff happens off screen (for instance a scene with a outboard motor comes to mind). The lack of gore and nudity is a major letdown, they are keystones for a good slasher flick according to me.This review is based on the DVD released by Velocity Home Entertainment.Rating: 1½ out of 7. Sleepover Nightmare is not a good flick, it has several flaws of which the lack of gore and T & A are the biggest. And even it has a pretty good pacing it gets pretty boring thanks to the lack of the factors I´ve already mentioned.

Monday, 13 February 2012

First I´d like to thank Kenny Wang for sending me a copy of his film, this review is based in that. John's (Kenny Wang) car ride quickly comes to an end when he gets a flat tire, before changing the tire he releases a female captive (Stine Kråbøl) from the back of the trunk. While John is about to change the tire, a seemingly kind stranger (Daniel Dahl) happens to pass by them and offers his assistance. Reservedekk is written and directed by Kenny Wang, this a short film with a running time of approx 20 minutes. The plot has more than one twist, the acting is average, it´s well shot and edited. The special fx are juicy and gory and quite effective. They are the the highpoint of the film. There is some nudity on behalf of Stine Kråbøl and she´s both sexy and cute.Rating: 2½ out of 7. I wouldn´t call it suspenseful or especially entertaining but it was pretty interesting and has a few interesting twists.

Saturday, 11 February 2012

A man is haunted by nightmares. In these nightmares, he watches a masked killer kill several people. Now the question is whether it really is nightmares or if it´s more than that.A Fucking Cruel Nightmare is directed by Sebastian Zeglarski and it´s one of those extreme independent films from Germany... The only goal with A Fucking Cruel Nightmare is to show scenes of gruesome gore, violence and depravity. No plot and no dialogue, actually the only words you hear are "What a fucking cruel Nightmare". We learn nothing about the characters, they are just there, making them absolutely insignificant. The production itself is not that bad, the soundtrack is not bad in itself, but remains the same and is therefore boring. It´s pretty well shot and edited, The special fx are pretty good. Some effects are rather simple but many effects are impressive. People are killed a rod, a hammer, fists, suffocated, stabbed, decapitated, dismembered and tortured with nails. There are tools such as chainsaws and drills are used...... There are some shocking and provocative scenes in this, it´s not for the squeamish!The review is based on the DVD released by Maximum Uncut Pictures, it´s uncut and it´s part of a limited release of 500 copies. I bought mine from Dvduncut.com/ .Rating: 5 out of 7. I was very pleasantly surprised but the entertainment value is limited. There is nothing more than one death scene after another and about halfway through the film it gets pretty monotonous and boring. However, if you like splatter and gore, this film will not disappoint.

Kristen (Darya Zabinski) is caring for her Terminally ill husband Alex (Rich George) who is suffering from a degenerative bone disease. With no cure available she turns to Thomas (Brian Paulin) to help find an alternative form of medicine that has unimaginable side effects. Bone Sickness is written by and directed by Brian Paulin who also made the soundtrack, edited and plays one of the main characters. This film is ultra low budget, and it looks low budget. The acting isn´t very good but let´s be realistic, we ain´t watching Bone Sickness and expecting Oscar winning perfomances, we´re watching it for the gore. The special fx done by Brian Paulin are decent, but I especially like the zombies old-school look zombies. They are of the slow, clunky, Fulci variety which I love. We get loads and loads and loads of gore (the gory effects reminded me of the old Italian gore films) and there are also some decent nudity on display. On the technical side there are some audio problems, there is no quick editing or shaky cameras but the editing is pretty bad. I like the simple but fitting soundtrack.This review is based on the DVD released by Morbid Vision Films, it´s available through their website .Please note that there is a alternate version of the film released by Unearthed Films, a review of that release will be online later this month.Rating: 2½ out of 7. Bone Sickness is a gorefest, it has a couple memorable moments, but it isn´t very entertaining but rather dull. I do enoy a film that has that low budget charm but the pacing is too slow, the editing isn´t very good and just when the film seems to ended it keeps going, and then again when you think it´s the end it continues...
I would like point out that Brian Paulin has improved his craftmanship, see Fetus and Blood Pigs both of which are much better than Bone Sickness.

Wednesday, 8 February 2012

A prostitute (Rodlen Getsic) looking for her next meal hitches a ride with a trucker (Jeff Renfro) that leaves her praying for her next breath. The Bunny Game is written by Rodlen Getsic and Adam Rehmeier who also is the director. In the film the characters never once tell each other their names. The acting is great, Rodlen Getsic is really amazing in her portrayal of her character and Jeff Renfro is nothing less than excellent as the trucker, he´s incredibly creepy. The film is beautifuly shot in black and white, has creative editing but some might be put off by the rapid-fire edits. There are a lot of scenes featuring tormenting and humiliation. There are rumors online that everything in the film is real and the rumour is true, it happens for real and there is no special fx.

The Bunny Game has been banned in the UK and Ireland

This review is based on the Njuta Films DVD release which is All Region.

Rating: 7 out of 7. Once in awhile there comes a film that truly hits you like a unforseen force, The Bunny Game is one of those films, it´s brave and no holds barred. It´s disturbing, stomach churning and captivating. See it!!

A group of young metal freaks sets out to the forest to camp during a weekend. they plan to drink, and to celebrate. But disaster is coming! One of the boys cuts his hand and his blood drips onto a corpse buried in the forest. Awakened by the blood, the creature has one goal, to destroy all living things. His first victim is a forestworker and the chainsaw is now the tool of hell. Kettensägen Zombies Redux is directed by Andreas Pape and Oliver Kellisch and it´s exactly what the titles implies, a redux of a earlier film Kettensägen Zombies from 1999, so we get a mix of new and old footage.There is a non stop heavy metal soundtrack in the background, sometimes it´s hard to hear the dialogue because of the music but there is hardly any dialogue in the film and besides the sound quality is down right awful so it´s hard to hear what the characters are saying anyway. Kettensägen Zombies Redux features bad acting, bad special fx, it´s badly shot and edited...This reviw is based on the limited DVD release from Maximum Uncut Pictures, it´s uncut and is german language only.Rating: 0½ out of 7. Thank god it´s only 34 minutes long (including end credits)...

First of all I´d like to thank Darrin Dickersson for sending me a numbered screener of his film, the review is based on that screener. A team of ex-military mercenaries is hired by a wealthy doctor to rescue her kidnapped child from a supposedly abandoned goverment facility. Once inside, they discover they´re not alone, and what was meant to be a simple search and rescue quickly turns into a fight for survival. D4 is written, edited and directed by Darrin Dickersson, he also plays the character Smoke, one of the mercenaries. D4 is more a thriller/sci fi instead of the standard explosive action flick, the acting isn't too bad and it´s pretty amazing what Darrin Dickersson and his crew has done with limited resources. Good use of the setting, both the forest and the supposedly abandoned goverment facility look great and are used to good effect. Good camera work and tight editing. D4 has a pretty slow pacing with more focus on plot and characters than action. There is not much blood/gore, the special fx aren´t the greatest I've ever seen but they are not bad.Rating: 6½ out of 7. I enjoyed the film. D4 has good atmosphere, tension and couple of twists. Can't wait to see Darrin Dickersson´s next film!

Tuesday, 7 February 2012

Heiko (Heiko Fipper) has fallen in love with his stepsister Fabiane who rejects him and lets her twin sister Nicole replace her. One day he plans to kill Nicole in order to end the recuring mix-ups. Unfortunately he catches Fabiane instead of Nicole and is sent to a mental hospital for the rest of his life. Years later he manages to escape his prison and seeks bloody revenge on Nicole who he blames for the loss of his love... Ostermontag is directed by german independent film maker Heiko Fipper and in it there is no logic, meaning, context or psychological depth. There are no believable drawn characters instead we get a collection of scenes, we get excessive violence against women and humiliations galore. It´s all staged really sick and nauseous, but it´s ineptly made and boring. We get a lot of shaky camera work and sometimes we can´t see what is happening. The actors (recruited from family and colleagues) are amateurish but Heiko is unexpectedly good in portraying his characters madness. It´s a very dark, nasty and vicious film with extreme sadism and violence on display. The special fx and gore are poor but are compensated somewhat by the brutality and sadism on display. Some scenes are hard to sit through.Beware that Ostermontag has been released with three alternative titles, these are; Snuff Holocaust, Das Komabrutale Snuff-Massaker and Spit on Your Fucking Grave Bitch (the DVD covers are included below the review).This review is based on the DVD released by HF Pictures, it´s region 0, is uncut and is german language only.Rating: 1½ out of 7. Ostermontag is a inept movie but twisted and nasty nevertheless, it´s a provocation and violation of generally accepted boundaries of taste. It isn´t a exciting or otherwise entertaining film but I like the very dark and nasty tone. As you understand this is not a film for everyone.

Here at Independent Flicks it´s time to launch the first contest. You as a reader can win the Njuta Films DVD release of The Bunny Game (2010) it has been confirmed to be PAL All Region, it´s brand new and laminated. In order to win The Bunny Game (2010), you need answer five questions, the topic is independently produced films. All the answers can be found here on Independent Flicks.

The last day of the competition is February 24. Good luck!

Who wrote and played one of the main characters in Scrapbook (2000)?

What is the name of Michelle Boback´s character in Torched (Video 2004)?

Who is the special effects wizard responsible for the gruesome gore in K3: Prison of Hell (Video 2009)?

Thursday, 2 February 2012

First I´d like to thank Vito Trabucco for sending me the screener, which this review is based on.In 1977 a group of young, horny, out of control Christians are spending a fun filled weekend at the Happy Day Bible Camp. One by one these youthful sinners pay a bloody penance for their sinful acts. Several years later, in 1984, a church group under the guidance of Father Richard Cummings (Reggie Bannister) pays a visit to the camp, with the intent of acquiring it for God’s work. They ignore the warnings from the local folk of the grizzly murders that took place seven years prior.Bloody Bloody Bible Camp is written by Shelby McIntyre and Vito Trabucco who also directs the film which creates that 80's retro feel as we get gratuitous nudity, tasteless situations, lack of logic and gore. There is lots of fun dialogue and over the top humor. Reggie Bannister, who also is one of the producers, is great as Father Richard Cummings and it´s quite obvious that the cast and crew had a good time making the movie. Overall the acting is fine. On technical side it´s well shot, edited and there is good lighting and sound. Gorehounds might like to know that the gore is practical effects created by Oddtopsy FX. Coming soon late 2012 on DVD & Blu Ray.
Rating: 6 out of 7. Bloody Bloody Bible Camp is highly entertaining and is worth a look, the combination of horror and comedy is difficult but Bloody Bloody Bible Camp succeeds in doing it, but keep in mind this is mainly comedy with a added splice of horror and gore.

Wednesday, 1 February 2012

First of all I´d like to thank Lars-Erik Lie for sending me the screener on which this review is based.After fighting with her mom, Kimsy (Kirsten Jacobsen) runs into the woods to cool off, a day of bloodshed and murder follows... The Thrill of a Kill is a new low budget norwegian horror film directed by Lars-Erik Lie, he has also shot and edited the film and much more (he has received several credits). The camera work (a bit of shaky cam here and there which can be frustrating in some movies but here it works) and editing is mostly good. I like the setting, the vast norwegian forest is an excellent scene and is used to good effect. Some parts of the soundtrack seems a bit odd while others are very good in establishing atmosphere. The special fx are standard indie fare, make no misstake about it there is quite a bit of gore but nothing impressive but as a gorehound I guess that I´m pretty jaded. But for me the main selling point ain´t the gore instead it´s the sheer nastiness and brutality as the nameless serial killer (Arve Herman Tangen) torments, rapes, tortures and kills his prisoners. We do get to see several flashbacks that explains the serial killer background as we see him as a young boy (Carl Arild Heffermehl). The acting in the film is uneven but Arve Herman Tangen is really good in his role.The Thrill of a Kill is planned to be released on DVD by Another World Entertainment in April 2012.
Rating: 6 out of 7. The Thrill of a Kill is the feature length debut of Lars-Erik Lie and I look forward to see more of his work in the future.

By using this icon on my website I am stating... 1. That I am opposed to the use of corporate advertising on blogs. 2. That I feel the use of corporate advertising on blogs devalues the medium. 3. That I do not accept money in return for advertising space on my blog./JL

About Me

I´ll be reviewing Independent Flicks from far and beyond. All the films that are reviewed are in my collection and are original DVD´s.
To submit materials for review please email me for the address: independentflicks@hotmail.com